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What defines a "rookie" in the NFL?


electricrelish
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Requesting help from Big John and all my fellow Huddlers:

 

I am the commissioner of a dynasty league where an issue has come up regarding a certain player that was eligible for the 2013 NFL draft but went undrafted. This player went on to sign a contract in the CFL. Recent news indicates that this player will most likely be signing with a NFL team in 2015 once the player is free from the CFL contract.

 

The player is listed in myfantasyleague.com as a free agent, but not as a rookie. Our dynasty league does not permit any players other than rookies to be placed on teams' developmental taxi squads (DTS), which is why an issue has come up. I recall having this discussion a few years ago about another Canadian player, and I believe Big John answered the question, but I can't recall the name of the player now or the reasoning behind the decision, so I'm asking for the Huddler community for their assistance.

 

QUESTION: What defines a "rookie" in the NFL?

Edited by electricrelish
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Duron Carter is the player in question. Son of Cris Carter.

 

He's been through the draft process once and not selected, had a tryout with the Vikings, but did not get tendered a contract. He is a free agent for the NFL, but under contract with the CFL.

 

I know I consider rookies as players that became eligible or a year from being eligible for the regular draft / supplemental draft. Not guys that have already completed that process.

 

Completed that process and not on an NFL roster = free agent.

If only a team that selects him can have him (or holds his rights) = a rookie.

Edited by Riffraff
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I dug this thread up from a different site:

 

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=445929

 

Tend to agree with this post:

 

this determines rookie status:

Credited Seasons: A Credited Season is any season in which a player is on one of the following lists for at least three (3) regular season or post-season games: Active List, Inactive List, Injured Reserve List, or Physically Unable to Perform List (PUP).

A player will also earn a Credited Season if he is released injured and paid the equivalent of at least three (3) game checks. Weeks on the Practice Squad will not count toward a Credited Season.

 

not this - it is for free agency/pension status:

Accrued Seasons: An Accrued Season is a season during which a player has been on full pay status (Active, Inactive or Injured Reserve List) for six (6) or more regular season games. However, a player who is on the Exempt Commissioner Permission List, the Reserve Physically Unable to Perform/Non Football Injury List, or the Practice Squad for any of the six (6) qualifying games will not earn an Accrued Season regardless of his pay status.

 

 

 

Based on that, as Carter has no credited seasons in the NFL, I believe he technically would be a rookie in the NFL next season if he were to sign.

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Add this site to:

 

http://www.sportingc...nfl/rookie.aspx

 

This is a term used in most every sport at every level of competition, NFL football included, to refer to a first year player. In the National Football League, a first year player may be acquired through the NFL Draft or as a free-agent if they went undrafted. A rookie is not inexperienced in the sport, only at the level of play to which they have recently risen. Many NFL rookies have played their entire lives, including at college level. A rookie is not necessarily young, though this is usually the case. If a player has never played NFL football before, they are considered a rookie, despite their age. The slang usage of the term may refer to an individual who is inexperienced at the sport. For example, "You really are a rookie at football."

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A Rookie is officially described in the CBA as

 

 

"Rookie" means a person who has never before signed a Player Contract with an NFL Club . The first Player Contract signed by such person is a "Rookie Contract."

 

Article 1, page 3 of the CBA https://www.nflplaye...s/cba-download/ which is page 18 of the PDF document

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So it seems he would be a rookie by most definitions. However, I think it's best to go with what the site says even if it's wrong. If the site says Denard Robinson is a wide receiver, then he should be considered a wide receiver. If the site doesn't count a stat correction, then the stat correction doesn't count. It might be frustrating and far from a perfect solution, but overriding the site opens up a big can of worms.

 

 

I tend to agree with this unless it is clearly laid out when a deviation is made from the site default.

 

Be interesting to see if MFL were to add the R designation to him if he signs.

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Did he ever sign a NFL contract before this year? If he did and was then cut he is not a rookie.

 

A rookie is the first year he has ever been with an NFL team, even if he got cut in the pre-season. To differentiate for a player trying to make a team for the first time but cut in a previous year, it is called a 1st-year player in this instance.

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I tend to agree with this unless it is clearly laid out when a deviation is made from the site default.

 

Be interesting to see if MFL were to add the R designation to him if he signs.

 

Did he ever sign a NFL contract before this year? If he did and was then cut he is not a rookie.

 

A rookie is the first year he has ever been with an NFL team, even if he got cut in the pre-season. To differentiate for a player trying to make a team for the first time but cut in a previous year, it is called a 1st-year player in this instance.

 

 

well here is the irony of the situation and one I used as in example in one of my leagues. Carter is not consider by MFL to be a rookie yet this guy is Muamba, Henoc IND LB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henoc_Muamba

 

essentially the same situation where he has played multiple years in Canada and is considered a rookie. To me it looks more like MFL (not sure about other sites) dropped the ball by not calling him a rookie.

 

I will say that this contradicts my personal opinion in that only players just out of college are rookies. Not guys who graduated 2, 3 or 4 years ago

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well here is the irony of the situation and one I used as in example in one of my leagues. Carter is not consider by MFL to be a rookie yet this guy is Muamba, Henoc IND LB

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Henoc_Muamba

 

essentially the same situation where he has played multiple years in Canada and is considered a rookie. To me it looks more like MFL (not sure about other sites) dropped the ball by not calling him a rookie.

 

Agree, and I think the issue is that MFL isn't an authority, and they don't want to be, they just pass-through what they get. If it's correct great, if it's not leagues are left to flounder. When stats aren't right, they don't fix them, they wait for their stats feed to update it (or give the league commish the power to override it). When a player's position changes, they wait for Rotorworld to update it, and they get some kind of refresh from Roto. I agree they don't know how to handle Carter, so are doing nothing, punting it to league commissioners to deal with.

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Look at Cameron Wake. Undrafted in 2005. Invited to Giants camp. Didn't make it. Played in CFL. Came to NFL in 2009 and considered a rookie by MFL. Same exact stuff.

 

I'm not sure that this example is a good one to use. If Cameron Wake participated in the NY Giants' training camp, then that means Wake signed a NFL contract. Whether he made the team or not is irrelevant. Wake could no longer have been considered a rookie once he returned to the NFL.

 

In Duron Carter's case, it appears as if he never signed a NFL contract to go to training camp. If that is the case, then it sounds like he can be considered a rookie.

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Look at Cameron Wake. Undrafted in 2005. Invited to Giants camp. Didn't make it. Played in CFL. Came to NFL in 2009 and considered a rookie by MFL. Same exact stuff.

 

 

Was he? I was made aware of some Cameron Wake drama in one league but didn't see any detail around it. If so it would be the opposite of this. Wake signed a contract in 2005 but you're saying MFL had him as a rookie. Carter hasn't signed a contract and MFL isn't listing him that way.

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Was he? I was made aware of some Cameron Wake drama in one league but didn't see any detail around it. If so it would be the opposite of this. Wake signed a contract in 2005 but you're saying MFL had him as a rookie. Carter hasn't signed a contract and MFL isn't listing him that way.

 

 

I went to a 2009 MFL site and he is listed as a rookie.

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Image from Vikings rookie camp in 2012. Caption: "Duron Carter #13 of the Minnesota Vikings runs a drill during a rookie minicamp on May 3, 2012 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota."

 

Carter in uniform, that means he probably had at least a 10 day or injury clause type contract.

 

Holy smoking gun!!!

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Nope. He came in for a tryout. The media said he was going to be signed. Then they didn't sign him.

 

 

Correct

 

http://profootballta...g-at-this-time/

 

 

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the son of former Vikings receiver Cris Carter didn’t do enough on a tryout basis at the team’s rookie minicamp to get the team to offer him a contract.

 

http://www.ganggreen...ar-duron-carter

 

 

Unfortunately for him, nobody wanted to take that gamble. He went undrafted and was invited to camp by the
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/minnesota-vikings' rel="external nofollow">
where he failed to receive an offer. He decided to travel to the CFL to mature as a person and as a player and it seems as though that has really worked.
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